Hellos and Good Byes

My mother came back 2 nights ago and announced with a choked voice, Aunt Po Chu ( A distant relative) had died. I did not hear much of the details, mainly my mum often gets her facts wrong and while she was saying it, she got emotional and some of the words, I couldn't hear.
Later in the night, I remarked to T that when in my 20s, I would often get notifications of weddings and arrivals of little pattering feet but now in my 30s, I start getting notices of " Departures".
Last year, I said good bye not only to my father, I also said good byes to 2 of my friends.
This year alone, I already had 2 notifications of "Departures" Life is really very fragile. Aunt Po Chu looks healthy and was healthy til beginning of the year. The last time, I saw her was at my father's funeral wake and she had even spend a night at my mum's place. She was robust and very much at peace with herself.
As I saw her again, lying in the white coffin, She still looks the same and very very much at peace. I think she had searched and found the peace. It was a simple wake, She had baptised in Dec 09. So the ceremony would have been what she wanted, which is very important. My mother did not see it this way. She felt Aunt Po Chu had bailed out and chose the 'ang moh' way. As she often said, what is so great about Christianity? They do not shed tears not mourned. We are Chinese and should get a traditional send off. But her thinking are all wrong. Who says Christians do not feel the pain, shed tears nor mourned the passing of a beloved. they do but they also believed that when it is their turn, their early departed relatives or beloved would be waitng for them, with their arms wide open. this is what was promised. And forever they shall have eternal life.